The causes of death among the assured in the Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society from 1874 to 1894 inclusive / [Claud Muirhead].

Muirhead, Claud.

Date:: 1902

Credit: The causes of death among the assured in the Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society from 1874 to 1894 inclusive / [Claud Muirhead]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$greatly between the ages 45 and Go, with a eorrespouding decrease at the younger ages. Tlie Table also shows that in all the three Septennia 90 per cent of the deaths occurred between ages 25 and G5. Keeping this fact in mind, we see from the following Table that the increase in the age at death was a true one, and not merely due to the increasing age of the Society:— Annual ]\Iortality from Consumption among 10,000 (Males) living at each Group of Ages and at All Ages.^ I’ERIOn. Ages under 25. I Between Ages 1 25 <b 35. Between Ages 35 & 45. Between Ages 45 & 55. Between Ages 55 & 05. Between Ages 65 & 75. Ages 76 and over. All Ages. 1874-80 12-21 1 7 ‘53 21-45 10-09 1 1 -00 15-00 7-71 16-03 1881-87 11-01 14*78 16-29 12-38 12-11 6-91 T) -03 13-00 1888-94 8-00 11-10 13-13 11-31 11-35 12-51 4-20 11-00 Examining the Groups included between ages 25 and G5, we find that a great part of the general decrease in our rate of mortality from Consumption, already demonstrated, took place between ages 25 and 45, and that the death- rates for Groups 45-55 and 55-65 are practically constant. This of course means that it is among our younger members that the mortality has been steadily becoming lighter, and that consequently the age at death has been really increasing. That the improvement in the mortality was general is showm by the iact that there was no large increase in the death-rate among the older members. From the foregoing Tables we have also plainly brought before us the fact that the prevalence of Consumption is by no means confined to persons under middle life. It will be observed that our data show that between ages 45 and 75 the percentage of actual deaths from this disease was large, and that the death-rate for 1874-94 for the three decennial groups covered by these ages was somewhat higher than for the group 20-25. It would thus appear that Idithisis is a potent cause of death among our older members. These statistics directly contradict the popular belief that this disease belongs to the period of youth and young manhood, and is rarely encountered after 45 years of age. Satisfactory as are these results, still it cannot be denied that the mor- tality is too high, and that more care is needed on the part of the Society’s Medical Examiners to minimise the deaths arising from this disease, as it is from it of all others that “ the greatest amount of premature mortality occurs.” No clearer proof of this cau I offer than the fact that during the first year of assurance no fewer than fifteen members died of this disease, in the second year thirty-four, in the third year thirty-five, in the fourth year fitty-two, and in the fifth year fifty. The deaths of no less than fifteen members in the first year of assurance from Consumption, which is usually a disease of slow progress, seems amazing, and implies some waint of due care, for which I fear the Medical Examiners must be held in great part, if not entirely, responsible. No doubt, had no selection been made the mortality would have proved vastly higher, for it will be noted that in the fourth year of assurance, ' For quinquennial groups of ages see Tables II'*, II®, and II^, in Appendix.$